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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. foot — a measure
  3. swing — to play on
  4. net — for catching
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. cue — for pool
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. cue — a signal
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. roll — a list
  12. swing — in golf
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. content — happy
  15. cue — a hint
  16. roll — a cake
  17. net — in sport
  18. content — the amount
  19. vault — a safe
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. swing — music
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. net — after costs
  24. roll — on a roll

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com